The CPC Has No Special Interests of Its Own – This Is Determined by the Nature of a Marxist Political Party

In his speech at the ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The Communist Party of China has always represented the fundamental interests of the broadest majority of the people; it shares weal and woe, life and death with the people, and has no special interests of its own. It has never represented the interests of any interest group, any power clique, or any privileged stratum.” This important thesis greatly enriches and develops the theory of Marxist political parties. It is both a profound summation of the 100-year historical evolution of the Communist Party of China and a theoretical distillation of the experiences and lessons of the rise and fall of political parties worldwide.

在庆祝中国共产党成立100周年大会上的讲话中，习近平总书记指出：“中国共产党始终代表最广大人民根本利益，与人民休戚与共、生死相依，没有任何自己特殊的利益，从来不代表任何利益集团、任何权势团体、任何特权阶层的利益。”这一重要论断是对马克思主义政党理论的极大丰富与发展，既是对中国共产党100年历史演进的深刻总结，也是对世界政党发展兴衰成败经验与教训的理论升华。

The Communist Party of China has never represented any interest group – this is determined by the nature of a Marxist political party.

中国共产党从来不代表任何利益集团，这是马克思主义政党的性质决定的

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly identified “having no special interests of its own” as one of the fundamental distinctions between a Marxist political party and other political parties. He pointed out: “Our Party has no special interests of its own; the Party always puts the interests of the masses first at all times. This is the salient hallmark that distinguishes our Party, as a Marxist political party, from other political parties.”

党的十八大以来，习近平总书记多次把“没有自己的特殊利益”作为马克思主义政党与其他政党的根本区别之一。他指出：“我们党没有自己特殊的利益，党在任何时候都把群众利益放在第一位。这是我们党作为马克思主义政党区别于其他政党的显著标志。”

On October 29, 2015, in his speech at the second plenary session of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly stated: “All comrades in the Party, especially leading cadres at all levels, must bear in mind the provision in the Party Constitution: the Party has no special interests of its own apart from the interests of the working class and the broadest majority of the people. If it acquires its own private interests, then it can do anything. No political interest groups of any kind may exist within the Party, nor may there be political interest groups that collude inside and outside the Party for the exchange of power and money. The Party Central Committee’s resolute opposition to corruption is precisely to prevent and eliminate the impact of such illegal interest relations on inner-Party political life and to restore the Party’s sound political ecosystem. The earlier, more resolutely, and more thoroughly this work is done, the better.”

2015年10月29日，在党的十八届五中全会第二次全体会议上的讲话中，习近平总书记鲜明指出：“全党同志特别是各级领导干部都要牢记党章中的规定：党除了工人阶级和最广大人民群众的利益，没有自己特殊的利益。如果有了自己的私利，那就什么事情都能干出来。党内不能存在形形色色的政治利益集团，也不能存在党内同党外相互勾结、权钱交易的政治利益集团。党中央坚定不移反对腐败，就是要防范和清除这种非法利益关系对党内政治生活的影响，恢复党的良好政治生态，而这项工作做得越早、越坚决、越彻底就越好。”

On July 1, 2016, in his speech at the ceremony marking the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The reason the Communist Party of China has been able to accomplish the arduous tasks that no other political force in modern times could accomplish lies precisely in its consistent adherence to the scientific theory of Marxism as its guide to action and its persistent enrichment and development of Marxism in practice. This has enabled our Party to cast off the limitations of all previous political forces in pursuing their own special interests, to lead and promote China’s revolution, construction, and reform with the scientific spirit of dialectical materialism and a selfless and fearless broad-mindedness, and to constantly uphold truth and correct errors.”

2016年7月1日，习近平总书记在庆祝中国共产党成立95周年大会上的讲话中指出：“中国共产党之所以能够完成近代以来各种政治力量不可能完成的艰巨任务，就在于始终把马克思主义这一科学理论作为自己的行动指南，并坚持在实践中不断丰富和发展马克思主义。这使我们党得以摆脱以往一切政治力量追求自身特殊利益的局限，以唯物辩证的科学精神、无私无畏的博大胸怀领导和推动中国革命、建设、改革，不断坚持真理、修正错误。”

The Communist Party of China has never represented any power clique – a Marxist political party represents the interests of the broadest majority of the people.

中国共产党从来不代表任何权势团体，马克思主义政党代表的是最广大人民群众利益

A Marxist political party represents the interests of the broadest majority of the people. The Party has only one interest, and that is the people’s interest. If a Marxist political party acquires its own special private interests, it cannot truly share hearts, breathe the same air, and share the same fate with the masses. If a communist party has its own special interests, it will develop the feudal patronage system and produce all kinds of small mountain-strongholds, small circles, and small cliques. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly pointed out: “Within the Party, the feudal patronage system must never be practiced; small mountain-strongholds, small circles, and small cliques must never be formed; the practices of retainers, protégés, and hangers-on must never be allowed.” “Forming factions and cliques, forming gangs and sects, and forming interest groups for interest exchange are not permitted.” If interest groups exist within the Party, they could change the Party’s proletarian nature. In response to this issue, in early 2019, the CPC Central Committee issued the “Opinions on Strengthening the Party’s Political Building,” which explicitly put forward the requirement to “resolutely prevent the formation of interest groups within the Party that seize political power and change the Party’s nature,” thereby grasping the essence of the problem.

马克思主义政党代表的是最广大人民群众的利益，党的利益只有一个，那就是人民的利益。如果马克思主义政党有了自己的特殊私利，就不可能与人民群众真正心连心、同呼吸、共命运。共产党如果有了自己的特殊利益，就会形成封建依附那一套，就会产生各种各样的小山头、小圈子、小团伙。习近平总书记多次指出，“党内决不能搞封建依附那一套，决不能搞小山头、小圈子、小团伙那一套，决不能搞门客、门宦、门附那一套”，“不允许搞团团伙伙、帮帮派派，不允许搞利益集团、进行利益交换”。党内如果有利益集团，就可能改变党的无产阶级性质。针对这一问题，2019年初，中共中央印发《关于加强党的政治建设的意见》，明确提出“坚决防止党内形成利益集团攫取政治权力、改变党的性质”的要求，这就抓住了问题的实质。

The Communist Party of China has never represented any power clique. The Communist Party of China has always emphasized that the masters of the country are the masses of the people, and power is in the hands of the people. The Party serves the people wholeheartedly and absolutely does not seek interests for power cliques. The thesis that it has never represented the interests of any power clique is also a scientific conclusion drawn from summing up the historical development of political parties worldwide. From a global perspective, many political parties, especially those in Western countries, seek interests for power cliques, a point particularly evident in American party politics.

中国共产党从来不代表任何权势团体，中国共产党始终强调国家的主人是人民大众，权力掌握在人民手中。党是全心全意为人民服务的，绝不是为权势团体谋利益的。从来不代表任何权势团体利益这一论断，也是总结世界政党发展的历史得出的科学结论。从世界范围看，许许多多的政党特别是西方国家的政党就是为权势团体谋利益的，这一点在美国政党政治中体现得尤其明显。

The Communist Party of China has never represented the interests of any privileged stratum – this is a scientific conclusion reached through in-depth analysis.

中国共产党从来不代表任何特权阶层的利益，这是深刻分析得到的科学结论

The Communist Party of China has never represented the interests of any privileged stratum. This is a scientific conclusion we have drawn from a profound analysis of the lessons of the collapse of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In his speech at the special seminar for provincial and ministerial-level leading cadres on studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee on January 11, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The Soviet Union was the world’s first socialist country and achieved brilliant successes, but later it failed and disintegrated. One important reason was that the Communist Party of the Soviet Union became detached from the people and turned into a privileged bureaucratic clique that only safeguarded its own interests.” This conclusion is thought-provoking. A great proletarian political party that led the world-shaking October Revolution and led the people to defeat fascism collapsed like a house of cards because it later degenerated into a privileged bureaucratic clique that only safeguarded its own interests.

中国共产党从来不代表任何特权阶层的利益，这是我们深刻剖析苏共亡党的教训得出的科学结论。2021年1月11日在省部级主要领导干部学习贯彻党的十九届五中全会精神专题研讨班上的讲话中，习近平总书记指出：“苏联是世界上第一个社会主义国家，取得过辉煌成就，但后来失败了、解体了，其中一个重要原因是苏联共产党脱离了人民，成为一个只维护自身利益的特权官僚集团。”这个结论振聋发聩。一个领导了震撼世界的十月革命、领导人民打败了法西斯的伟大无产阶级政党，因为后期蜕变成了只维护自身利益的特权官僚集团，于是就哗啦啦倒掉了。

The Communist Party of China has always resolutely opposed the privileged stratum. After the founding of New China, Comrade Mao Zedong repeatedly warned the whole Party “not to form an aristocratic stratum detached from the people.” Since reform and opening up, Comrades Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao have all called for res

中国共产党历来对于特权阶层是坚决反对的。新中国成立后，毛泽东同志屡次告诫全党“不要形成一个脱离人民的贵族阶层”。改革开放以来，邓小平同志、江泽民同志、胡锦涛同志都提出坚决抵制党内的特权思想和特权现象，并作出一系列制度安排解决这些问题。邓小平同志曾经指出：“克服特权现象，要解决思想问题，也要解决制度问题。”

To truly represent no privileged-stratum interests, first, it is necessary to take a clear stand against the thinking, style, and phenomena of privilege. General Secretary Xi Jinping places great emphasis on this issue. In January 2013, in his important speech at the Second Plenary Session of the 18th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “In the fight against corruption and for clean governance, we must oppose the thinking and phenomena of privilege. Communists are always ordinary members of the working people; apart from personal interests and work authority within the scope stipulated by law and policy, all Communists must not seek any private gain or privilege. This issue is not only an important part of Party building and clean governance but also a major question concerning whether the Party and the state can forever maintain their vitality. Effective measures must be adopted to resolutely oppose and overcome the thinking and phenomena of privilege

真正做到不代表任何特权阶层利益，首先，就要旗帜鲜明地反对特权思想、特权作风和特权现象。习近平总书记十分强调这一问题。2013年1月，习近平总书记在十八届中央纪委二次全会上发表重要讲话指出，“反腐倡廉建设，必须反对特权思想、特权现象。共产党员永远是劳动人民的普通一员，除了法律和政策规定范围内的个人利益和工作职权以外，所有共产党员都不得谋求任何私利和特权。这个问题不仅是党风廉政建设的重要内容，而且是涉及党和国家能不能永葆生机活力的大问题。要采取得力措施，坚决反对和克服特权思想、特权现象。”习近平总书记是把反对特权思想、特权现象上升为涉及党和国家能不能永葆生机活力的大问题来看待的。2018年1月，习近平总书记在十九届中央纪委二次全会上发表的重要讲话中再次明确指出：领导干部要坚决反对特权思想、特权现象，保持对人民的赤子之心，坚持工作重心下移，扑下身子深入群众，面对面、心贴心、实打实做好群众工作，着力解决群众反映强烈的突出问题。

Second, we must implement well the "Norms of Political Life within the Party under the New Situation." On the one hand, supervision over leading cadres must be strengthened; within the Party, no unchecked power is permitted, nor are any special Party members exempt from supervision. On the other hand, leading cadres at all levels, especially senior cadres, must uphold the principle of building the Party for the public good and exercising power for the people, maintain a clear distinction between public and private interests, put public interests before private ones, and be selfless in serving the public. They must take the lead in preserving the style of being modest, prudent, free from arrogance and rashness, and in maintaining the style of hard struggle. They must take the lead in implementing the code of conduct for clean governance, consciously combat the mindset of privilege and the phenomenon of privilege, and are not permitted to use their power to seek personal gain for themselves or others.

其次，要落实好《关于新形势下党内政治生活的若干准则》。一方面，必须加强对领导干部的监督，党内不允许有不受制约的权力，也不允许有不受监督的特殊党员；另一方面，各级领导干部特别是高级干部要坚持立党为公、执政为民，坚持公私分明、先公后私、克己奉公，带头保持谦虚、谨慎、不骄、不躁的作风，保持艰苦奋斗的作风，带头执行廉洁自律准则，自觉同特权思想和特权现象作斗争，不准利用权力为自己和他人谋取私利。

(The author is Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of the Academy of Marxism, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者系中国社会科学院马克思主义研究院党委书记、副院长）

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